This interview is a part of the “7 Questions” series. I will be posing 7 questions to people within the tarot community; whether they are bloggers, authors, deck creators, or fellow readers (or sometimes, all of the above!).
Today’s edition of 7 Questions finds me talking with Angie Green, creator of The Simple Tarot. I was delighted to receive the Simple Tarot Beginner Deck, with keywords on it. If you are looking for a cleaner deck sans keywords, the Classic Version of this deck is for you.
Below are some pictures I took when I first unboxed the deck.
Holy moly, what a treasure trove of resources you get with this deck: a companion guidebook, a cheat sheet, and keywords DIRECTLY on the face of each card, whether it’s Major or Minor. Seriously, the Simple Tarot, where were you when I was first learning tarot???
As I lovingly perused this deck, I thought that a deck review was simply not enough: I needed answers! Here’s the questions that came to mind as I worked through The Simple Tarot, and answers from its creator Angie Green:
Question: There are so many tarot readers out there that want to make their own tarot deck, but find it daunting. What inspired you to create The Simple Tarot, rather than make yet another RWS clone?
Answer: Creating this deck has been on my “things I really should do” list for years, but I absolutely dreaded taking on a project this big. I knew my customers and the world wanted and needed it, but I did everything I could to avoid starting. My fears and ego got the better of me.
But once I committed to it and focused on serving others, it came together with such ease. I went from designing the first card to holding a draft prototype of the entire deck, book, and package in my hands within 7 weeks. The images, design, and decisions just flowed out of me. I created the deck that I wish had been around when I was just starting to learn tarot.
Q: What was the hardest card to depict in The Simple Tarot? Why?
A: The Six of Swords was one of my least favorite cards to design. This is one of my favorite cards in general, so I really struggled with trying to find the “right” way to illustrate it, and I still think it looks like she’s sitting in a bathtub.
Q: What was the easiest card to depict? Why?
A: Before creating this deck, I never connected with the Judgment card. I’m not religious at all and it always made me uncomfortable. But when I combined the trumpeter blowing his horn to an audience with their hands raised to the sky, it immediately made sense. One of the most important, transformative experiences in my life happened while seeing Rebirth Brass Band play in New Orleans. This card perfectly represents my personal “finding your true calling” experience, and it still feels magical to me.
Q: There are two versions of The Simple Tarot – one with keywords on the actual cards, and one without. What was the reasoning for this, when making just one deck would probably have been easier?
A: I originally created the Beginners Deck (with the keywords), because I was focused on creating a resource that would help get people reading tarot from day one without struggle or confusion.
During the process of creating the deck, I just fell in love with the images and wanted to make something even simpler for myself, so the Classic Deck (without keywords) was born.
The symbols and illustrations are so simple and clear, and they cut to the core of each card’s meaning. It’s wonderful to know that this deck is easily readable by both tarot beginners (using the Beginners Deck) and tarot experts (using the Classic Deck).
Q: What was your first tarot deck?
A: I picked up my first tarot deck, a classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck, decades ago, but struggled to remember and relate to the cards. About 5 years ago, I was reintroduced to them on a date, where I was shown the logic and patterns behind them.
Shortly after, I began a blog (called Learn Tarot With Me) to document my journey of learning the cards. This blog transformed from a personal project to a business (now called The Simple Tarot) where I create resources and tools for other tarot lovers.
Q: What, in your opinion, is the best method toward learning tarot?
A: I don’t think there’s a best way – only YOUR way. We all come to the tarot with different experience, different expectations, and different needs. I love that tarot cards can be so universally useful, but it does make it difficult to give advice about the “best” way to learn or use them.
I can say that the most common struggles I hear are centered on either learning and remembering the tarot card meanings, or on learning to trust your own voice and intuition.
To help learn the meanings, I always suggest using a Tarot Cheat Sheet and practicing in a small, fun way as often as you can. This is why I created a tarot deck with keywords, to help make it easy. Doing a daily draw with a tarot journal, or finding a daily tarot-scope you enjoy (like The Daily Tarot at www.TheSimpleTarot.com/daily-tarot), can both help.
For learning to trust your intuition, I highly suggest keeping a tarot journal. It doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy, but it does need to be private. You want someplace where you can write down your tarot readings, your fears, your hopes, and your experiments. No matter what your goals or struggles, patience, practice, and play will always help.
Q: How do you receive psychic information?
A: I’m not sure that I do! Personally, I’m a hard-core atheist, a skeptical searcher, and a rabid fan of science. I have a very hard time believing in things I can’t see or understand myself.
Of course, there’s plenty about the Universe that I can’t see or understand. I consider psychic abilities similar to magic (in the Arthur C. Clarke sense). To me, it’s all just “sufficiently advanced technology.”
Weird, right?
In my day-to-day life, I use tarot for creativity, problem-solving, and as DIY therapy. I don’t use it for divination, but I respect people who do. I love that tarot can be read in so many ways and meet so many different needs.
Official Bio
Angie Green is the creator of The Simple Tarot Deck, a modern tarot deck designed to make learning and using the tarot simple, easy, and fun. She’s a little bit witchy but not at all woo, and her goal is to help you get to a place where you can confidently read the tarot using your own deep knowledge of yourself and the cards. She strongly believes that there is no right or wrong way to read the cards – only YOUR way. At The Simple Tarot website (www.TheSimpleTarot.com), you can find The Daily Tarot (with a daily tarot-scope and advice from the cards), useful tarot spreads, and a free, printable Tarot Cheat Sheet.
Want to get in touch with Angie on social media? She’s #thesimpletarot and @thesimpletarot everywhere.
https://facebook.com/thesimpletarot
https://www.instagram.com/thesimpletarot
Where can I purchase the Simple Tarot?
www.TheSimpleTarot.com/Kickstarter
Many thanks to Angie for answering my questions, and please check out The Simple Tarot!
Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com
hilary@tarotbyhilary.com
Book your reading here.
HILARY PARRY HAGGERTY is a tarot reader, witch, mentor, editor, and teacher. She has been reading tarot for over 21 years (13 years professionally). She was the winner of Theresa Reed’s (The Tarot Lady) Tarot Apprentice contest in 2011, and has taught classes on tarot and spell-work at The Tarot School’s annual tarot conference Readers Studio and at Brid’s Closet Beltane Festival. She writes a weekly blog on tarot at her website www.tarotbyhilary.com and has been featured in Maxim Magazine and BuzzFeed.
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© Hilary Parry Haggerty | Tarot by Hilary
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